Food Insecurity/Nutritious Food Basket Costing

BOH - CORRESPONDENCE - 3

December 5, 2017

VIA EMAIL

The Honorable Kathleen Wynne Premier of Ontario Legislative Building, Queen’s Park Toronto, ON M7A 1A1 Email: [email protected]

Dear Premier Wynne:

Re: Food Insecurity/Nutritious Food Basket Costing

I am very pleased to write to you on behalf of the Board of Health for the Sudbury & District Health Unit to share our sincere appreciation for two recent provincial policy decisions in support of food security, a serious public health concern. The basic income pilot, which includes a commitment to work with First Nations communities, and the commitment to increase the minimum wage rate are two key policy initiatives that are expected to significantly support food security for Ontarians.

The Board of Health for the Sudbury & District Health Unit has a keen interest in food security. We recently reviewed our 2017 data from the annual Nutritious Food Basket Survey and concurred that to further support food security, additional income policies and standardized approaches to monitoring food costs are needed at both the provincial and federal levels.

At its meeting on November 23, 2017, the Sudbury & District Board of Health carried the following resolution #48-17:

WHEREAS the Sudbury & District Board of Health has monitored the cost of healthy eating on an annual basis in accordance with the Nutritious Food Basket Protocol and the Population Health Assessment and Surveillance Protocol per the Ontario Public Health Standards 2008; and

WHEREAS the draft Standards for Public Health Programs and Services, 2017 do not include the Nutritious Food Basket Protocol which is a concern because food costing data gathered by public health units each year is important for policy and program development; and

WHEREAS the Canadian Community Health Survey’s Household Food Security Survey Module (HFSSM) is a measure of food security but is not always a mandatory core module; and Letter Re: Food Insecurity/Nutritious Food Basket Costing December 5, 2017 Page 2 of 2

WHEREAS regular and consistent monitoring of household food insecurity is essential for evidence-informed policy decision making;

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Sudbury & District Board of Health request that social assistance rates be increased immediately to reflect the cost of the Nutritious Food Basket and local housing costs; and

THAT the Sudbury & District Board of Health advocate to the Province to ensure continued consistent local surveillance and monitoring of food costing by public health units through the continuation of a Nutritious Food Basket Protocol and Guidance document; and

THAT the Sudbury & District Board of Health advocate to Statistics Canada for the HFSSM to become a core module of the Canadian Community Health Survey; and

FURTHER THAT the Sudbury & District Board of Health share this motion and supporting materials with community agencies, boards, municipalities, elected representatives and others as appropriate throughout the SDHU catchment area.

Thank you for your attention to the important public health matters raised in this motion.

Sincerely,

Penny Sutcliffe, MD, MHSc, FRCPC Medical Officer of Health and Chief Executive Officer

Encl. cc: The Honorable Navdeep Bains, Minister of Innovation, Science and Economic Development Ms. Roselle Martino, Assistant Deputy Minister, Population and Public Health Division Dr. David Williams, Chief Medical Officer of Health Mr. Marc Serré, MP, Nickel Belt Mr. Paul Lefebvre, MP, Sudbury Ms. Carol Hughes, MP, Algoma-Manitoulin-Kapuskasing Mr. Glenn Thibeault, MPP, Sudbury Ms. France Gélinas, MPP, Nickel Belt Mr. Michael Mantha, MPP, Algoma-Manitoulin Dr. P. Sutcliffe, Medical Officer of Health and Chief Executive Officer All Ontario Boards of Health Constituent Municipalities within the SDHU catchment area First Nations within the SDHU catchment area

2017 NUTRITIOUS FOOD BASKET SCENARIOS

Households with children Single person households Scenario 1 Scenario 2 Scenario 3 Scenario 4 Scenario 5 Scenario 6 Scenario 7

Scenariosa Ontario Minimum Median Ontario Ontario ODSP* Senior Works Wage Ontario Works Works OAS / Earner Income GIS** Income Total Monthly Income (after tax) $2,568 $3,287 $7,896 $2,353 $806 $1,238 $1,675 Expenses 3 Bedroom 2 Bedroom Bachelor 1 Bedroom

Monthly Rent (may include heat/hydro)b $1,111 $1,111 $1,111 $990 $600 $776 $776 Foodc $884 $884 $884 $668 $297 $297 $216 Funds remaining for other basic needs $573 $1,292 $5,901 $695 ($91) $165 $683 % of Income Required for Rent 43% 34% 14% 42% 74% 63% 46% % of Income Required to Purchase Healthy Food 34% 27% 11% 28% 37% 24% 13%

a - As applicable, all scenarios are based on the following: 1 male adult, 1 female adult, 1 girl, 1 boy, 1 female older adult. b - Rental costs calculations are from the Rental Market Report: Ontario Highlights. Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation, Fall 2017. https://www03.cmhc-schl.gc.ca/catalog/productDetail.cfm?lang=en&cat=102&itm=1&fr=1472132413287 c - Reference: Nutritious Food Basket Data Results 2017 for the Sudbury & District Health Unit – Includes Household Size Adjustment Factors.

For more information, please call 705.522.9200, ext. 257. * Ontario Disability Support Program ** Old Age Security / Guaranteed Income Supplement